Issues in Informing Science and Information Technology

Accommodating Soft Skills in Software Project

Management
Aneerav Sukhoo, Andries Barnard, Mariki M. Eloff,
John A. Van der Poll
University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa
aneeravsukhoo@yahoo.com barnaa@unisa.ac.za
eloffmm@unisa.ac.za vdpolja@unisa.ac.za

Mahendrenath Motah
University of Technology, Mauritius
mmotah@utm.intnet.mu

Abstract
Software project management probably is a sector that has witnessed the highest rate of project
failure in the world. This is not the case with project management concerned with other disci-
plines due to better management of their inherent strengths and weaknesses.
Hard skills, often described as a science and comprising processes, tools and techniques applied
to projects are the main focus of many project management methodologies. Extensive research
has been carried out in the project management domain with greater focus on hard skills. Soft
skills described as an art, are very often ignored during software project management. Such skills,
acquired through experience, are concerned with managing and working with people, ensuring
customer satisfaction and creating a conducive environment for the project team to deliver high
quality products within budget and on time and exceeding stakeholder expectations.
This paper summarizes the soft skills that can possibly improve the success rate of software pro-
jects. These projects, if not managed properly can lead to escalation of budget and time schedules
beyond expectations. Deterioration of quality may be inevitable while deploying efforts to deal
with cost overrun and schedule extension.
Research in the field of soft skills required has been carried out at the University of Arkansas.
The results show that IT organizations are conscious of the need for soft skills. Furthermore, a
number of organizations, like Polaris, Sun Microsystems and Mastek have found it necessary to
include soft skills in their training agenda.
Keywords: soft skills, hard skills, IT project management, software project management, project
management methodology, emotional
intelligence, psychology.
Material published as part of this journal, either on-line or in print,
is copyrighted by Informing Science. Permission to make digital or
paper copy of part or all of these works for personal or classroom
use is granted without fee provided that the copies are not made or
Introduction
distributed for profit or commercial advantage AND that copies 1) Information Technology (IT) project
bear this notice in full and 2) give the full citation on the first page. management (software project man-
It is permissible to abstract these works so long as credit is given.
To copy in all other cases or to republish or to post on a server or agement) is a sector that has arguably
to redistribute to lists requires specific permission from the pub- witnessed the highest rate of project
lisher at Publisher@InformingScience.org
failure in the world. Dorsey (2000)
Accommodating Soft Skills

pointed out that large information systems projects have been reported to be subject to failure
rates between 50-80% and Bupa (2005) stated that according to a recent report by the Standish
Group, only one in three IT projects were delivered on time, within budget and according to
specification. This is also confirmed by the CHAOS report (The Standish Group, 2001), which is
published annually. This is generally not the case with project management concerned with other
disciplines due to better management of inherent strengths and weaknesses. IT projects, particu-
larly those of a software nature, have different strengths and weaknesses as compared to tradi-
tional engineering projects (Sukhoo, Barnard, Eloff & Van der Poll, 2004a). For instance, some
strengths associated with software projects include flexibility, ease of creating backups, scalabil-
ity, replication and reusability of components while some weaknesses include invisibility, com-
plexity, difficulty to add people to delayed projects and the need for regular upgrades.
However, hard skills remain the traditional main focus of most IT project management method-
ologies. Hard skills, often described as a science (Belzer, 2004), comprise processes, tools and
techniques applied to projects. In managing software projects, tools and techniques related to hard
skills are given much attention in an attempt to drive projects towards success. Unfortunately, we
find that many software projects do not live up to expectations.
Soft skills, often described as an art (Belzer, 2004), have been identified as critical for project
success. They are often concerned with managing and working with people (Kirsch, 2004). These
skills are typically acquired through experience (Belzer, 2004). Companies, like Mastek, Polaris
and Sun Microsystems, being conscious of the importance of soft skills, have incorporated such
skills into their training agenda (Arora, 2003).
This paper presents the soft skills that can possibly lead to an improvement of the success rate of
software projects. These software projects, if not managed properly can lead to an escalation of
budget and time schedules beyond expectations. Deterioration of quality may be inevitable while
deploying efforts to deal with cost overruns and schedule extensions.

Motivation for this Research

Every year, the CHAOS chronicle (see for example The Standish Group, 2001) reports on the
failure rate of IT projects in the USA. Although there was an observed decline in the percentage
of failed projects in the USA since 1994 as summarized by Sonnekus and Labuschagne (2004),
the same trend may not have been observed in other countries, especially those with a developing
economy.

Developed countries like the UK and USA are facing Table 1 – USA success rate
an advantageous situation with the use of well- Year Percentage of failed
adapted methodologies, tools and techniques through projects
rigorous research and development initiatives both CHAOS - 1994 31%
from academia as well as from professional bodies CHAOS - 1996 40%
like the Project Management Institute (PMI) and Of- CHAOS - 1998 28%
fice of Government Commerce (OGC). According to CHAOS - 2000 23%
a survey carried out by Sonnekus and Labuschagne CHAOS - 2002 15%
(2004), the failure rate of IT projects in South Africa was found to be 22%, which can be ob-
served to be comparable to that of the CHAOS chronicle released in 2000 (see Table 1).
Following a survey carried out in 2003 in Mauritius (Sukhoo, Barnard, Eloff & Van der Poll,
2004b), at least 50% of software projects that suffered due to deadline problem, budget overruns
and quality problems were found to be 50%, 30% and 10% respectively.
In contrast, traditional engineering projects generally achieve much higher success rates. This is
due to exploitation of inherent strengths and prudent management of weaknesses associated with

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engineering projects that are different from those of software projects (Sukhoo, Barnard, Eloff &
Van der Poll, 2004a). The strengths and, in particular the weaknesses associated with engineering
projects have been addressed better due to the fact that these projects were managed for many
decades and are also better understood. Management of software projects in particular has been
carried out for far less than what is the case with traditional projects. In addition to hard skills
required, it has been observed that a good mix with soft skills is required for IT organizations
(Arora, 2003). When popular project management methodologies like the PMBOK® (Project
Management Body of Knowledge) and PRINCE 2 (PRojects IN Controlled Environment) are
analyzed closely, one finds that not much emphasis is laid on soft skills.
Furthermore, a survey of soft skills required in IT organizations was carried out at the University
of Arkansas (Hathaway, 1999) and the results obtained showed highly desired skills to be prob-
lem solving process, listening skills, teamwork, adaptability to new technology and new lan-
guages, transferring knowledge to application, time management, visualization and conceptuali-
zation skills and verbal communication. Desired skills included the ability to multi-task, dealing
with business culture, inter-team communication, interpersonal skills, constructive criticism, or-
ganisation skills, stress management and general writing skills. According to the survey, less de-
sired skills comprise leadership, technical writing, dealing with diversification (different cultures)
and presentation skills.

Hard Skills
Hard skills are the technical skills required within the confines of a domain. They encompass the
following dimensions:
• Processes
• Tools
• Techniques
Aspects pertaining to some of the above may be learnt largely through a formal project manage-
ment course or from textbooks.
Extensive research has been conducted in project management with greater emphasis on hard
skills (Might & Fisher, 1985; Keil, 1995 as cited in Kirsch, 2004). These skills, although of cru-
cial importance, are to be considered along with the broader soft skills according to Belzer (2004)
and Moreira (2004). Most project management methodologies show a greater coverage of hard
skills. It is observed that research efforts are expended towards automating the process of man-
agement of projects with regards to hard skills.
However, Moreira (2004) claims that success in the management of software projects does not
rely entirely on hard skills. A combination of hard skills and soft skills may effectively and effi-
ciently steer projects towards success. This is confirmed by the fact that the best jobs are often
offered to seasoned professionals who have a good combination of technical knowledge, general
business skills and communication skills (Moreira, 2004).
Given that software projects have inherent complexity and invisibility features (Hughes & Cotte-
rell, 2002) that may hamper progress during development stages, it becomes necessary to articu-
late hard skills together with soft skills.

Soft Skills
Soft skills are the non-technical skills that are often not given due consideration while managing
projects. Soft skills, often described as an art (Belzer, 2004), is concerned with managing and
working with people, ensuring customer satisfaction with the intention of retaining them and cre-

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ating a conducive environment for the project team to deliver high quality products within budget
and on time and exceeding stakeholders expectations. Soft skills are acquired through experience,
but sensitization of students is necessary during formal software project management courses. In
addition, psychology may be incorporated into software project management curricula and this is
confirmed by Cook (2004) who stated the need for project managers to have a clear grasp of so-
cial psychology to insure optimum performance of project teams. According to Taylor (as cited in
Heikkila, 2002), one has to see beyond technical capabilities and recognize the value of business-
focused skills in order to successfully oversee and manage an IT department.

Soft Skills Dimensions

A plethora of soft skills dimensions has been identified for the management of projects (Belzer,
2004; Moreira, 2004). These soft skills include, amongst others, communication skills, team
building skills, flexibility and creativity skills, leadership skills and the ability to manage stress
and conflict. Moreover, a number of research initiatives are underway to sensitize stakeholders
and project managers regarding the importance of such skills to achieve smooth execution of pro-
jects. Software projects, in particular, warrant a careful selection of project managers to achieve
project objectives.
Mazarr (2000) mentioned that human beings know more that just “rote, mechanical operations
and endless repetition of tasks” and he observed that the best workplaces are filled not by those
with the most intimidating technical knowledge but rather by those with the best soft skills.

Communication skills
Communication skills refer to the ability to convey ideas easily and clearly in order to ensure that
the team moves towards a common goal (Belzer, 2004). Effective communication is a very im-
portant soft skill required by software project managers. According to Belzer (2004), “project
managers must have the ability to convey complex ideas easily, clearly articulate what must be
accomplished, keep the team moving towards a common goal, foster an environment that allows
team members to communicate openly and honestly, admit their own mistakes without losing
respect, negotiate, listen and facilitate”. It is generally agreed that effective communication is the
key to the success of any endeavor in which people are involved. The IT field is no exception,
especially where software development is concerned. Very often, aspects such as language, learn-
ing styles, communication networks, preferred learning mode, memory access and retrieval sys-
tems, attention and retention, and various other factors affecting learning; information processing
and communication are simply disregarded. Particularly, within the ambit of the IT domain, these
aspects are minimized in favor of technology (Newstrom & Davis, 2001).
Many managers have now started to accept and appreciate the importance of NLP (Neuro Lin-
guistic Programming) in the learning process, and in establishing effective communication pat-
terns in, and between, organizations. One cannot deny the fact that the success of any project rests
upon the judicious management of all information. Hence, the importance of a proper communi-
cation network, and various related aspects should be carefully considered, to ensure the success
of projects where people are involved (Newstrom & Davis, 2001).
Throughout the software development process, communication of project information should be
encouraged. Consideration has to be given to who needs what information, in what format and
when (Bruce and Langdon, 2000). Two-way communication must be enhanced, thereby, inviting
important feedbacks to keep projects moving in the right direction. In this way, the software pro-
ject manager may also encourage the project team to be open and honest. The software project
manager must ensure that team members are not intimidated by fear for repercussion (Bruce &
Langdon, 2000).

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Various means of communication like formal meetings, informal discussions and reports etc.,
must be encouraged. Also, the use of email may be an extremely useful time-saving device and
the use thereof should be considered.

Team building
Team building involves the setting up of a team with an appropriate mix of skills to ensure the
successful completion of a project. Conflicting behavior between team members should be de-
tected as early as possible. Software project management is typically a team activity, and it is
groups of people working together formally that can guarantee the achievement of defined objec-
tives related to software project management. Teamwork is very significant to project manage-
ment as there is a clear need for considerable interaction between people carrying out different
functions, but with a common purpose.
Team work is important at various levels – from senior management level down to and including
lower levels. Different types of teams are necessary: inter-disciplinary teams, informal teams,
autonomous teams, and others, during the various phases of a project. The collection of individual
skills working towards a common goal constitutes a powerful force (Phillips, 2002). The effect is
that “The whole is greater than the sum of the parts”, as Gray & Larson (2000) rightly pointed
out.
Hence, team building and team development will be the manager’s responsibility. The project
manager will have to ensure and encourage individuals to join teams and create situations to pro-
mote effective teamwork. Once in place, the teams should be involved in team processes and
carry out their tasks and maintenance functions (Newstrom & Davis, 2001).
Team building helps establish group norms, group behavior and desired attitudes and group iden-
tity. Software project managers should ensure that a full complement of people with a commensu-
rate level and mix of skills and personalities are adequately represented on a project (Bruce &
Langdon, 2000). Software project managers may seize the opportunity of project review meetings
to strengthen teamwork and help build team confidence.

Flexibility and creativity

Since every software project has unique characteristics, each may call for a different combination
of components, templates, tools and techniques (Belzer, 2004). The software project manager
must also adapt to the needs of the project. Flexibility and creativity can be promoted through the
understanding of the personality of individual members, and acceptance of individual preferences
(Santrock, 2000).
The use of toolkits and other equipment is possible through an appreciation of the intellectual
abilities of the team members and the belief that each and every individual is perfectible. Oppor-
tunities provided by the software project leader to the team will help members to initiate actions
and encourage creativity.

Leadership
According to Dobbins and Pettman (1997), leadership is the ability to motivate people to work
towards achieving common goals, to make ordinary people display extraordinary performance. In
short, leadership has been related to a person’s skills, abilities and degree of influence to get peo-
ple moving in a direction, making decisions and doing things that they would normally not have
embarked on. Leading is one of the functions of managers and as such software project managers
must lead a software project team. Different styles of leadership, some better than others in cer-
tain circumstances, are adopted by software project managers. Good teamwork may result from
consensus building between project managers and team members rather than adopting a dictato-

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rial style. A software project manager should be someone whom people want to seek out rather
than avoid (Bruce & Langdon, 2000). According to Bruce & Langdon (2000), four leadership
styles (as per table 2 below) may be associated with software project managers.
Table 2 – Leadership styles
Leadership style Description
Dictatorial This style refers to the decision-making process by the project manager
alone. The latter displays autocratic and controlling characters. This
style may be adopted when the project faces a crisis and when there is
no time for consultation between the project manager and individuals
concerned with the project. The dictatorial style must be used with care
and as infrequently as possible since it demotivates the team members,
thereby discouraging teamwork.
Analytic The project manager reaches a decision by gathering and analyzing
facts. This style, which requires good analytical skills, is adapted when
a project is running short of time and the correct decision must be taken
quickly.
Opinion-seeking This style involves gathering team members’ opinions in order to reach
a decision. Team confidence is built and the project manager indicates
that the views of the team are valued positively.
Democratic This style refers to team participation encouragement and involvement
in the decision-making process. It motivates the team and helps
strengthen their commitment to the project.
Recent work performed in the domain of leadership highlights the importance of emotional intel-
ligence as one of the basic requirements of the modern leader (Goleman, 1997). The behavior of
human beings is influenced by emotions since the dawn of time. Many theorists have emphasized
the importance of emotions and how to deal with emotional employees and it is nowadays widely
accepted that the management of emotions, particularly anger, can assist in stress management.
Goleman (1998b) argues that stress can be considered as the most damaging and costly illness in
most organizations.
The psychological implications in the choice of an appropriate leadership style cannot be over-
looked. The contingency leadership style, considered as the most popular among employees is,
however, not generally acceptable to all managers. Many prefer to adopt one particular style and
rarely accept change, usually to the detriment of the employee.
Emotional intelligence, leadership styles and human resource management are some of the key
issues that need to be considered as desirable soft skills indispensable for successful IT project
management.

Organizational effectiveness
To organize is the management function that focuses on arranging and allocating work, authority
and resources among an organization’s members so that plans may be successfully carried out
(University of Mauritius, 2004). Effective organizations are learning organizations. A learning
organization takes an institutional permanence, and acceptable modes of behavior become self-
evident to its members. Such shared meaning held by members of the organization contributes to
the establishment and reinforcement of organizational culture. With the advent of IT, several
characteristics that capture the essence of organizational culture have become more evident. As
such, aspects such as innovation and risk taking, attention to detail, people orientation, team ori-
entation, outcome orientation, stability, positive aggressiveness and other dimensions which di-

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rectly or indirectly affect individual members should be given due consideration (Farago &
Skyrme, 1995).
One should be cognizant of the fact that organizational culture has several important functions.
An organization with a dominant culture defines the boundary which limits the behavior of its
members; it conveys a sense of identity among its members; it facilitates the generation of com-
mitment; it enhances internal social system stability and helps hold the organization together; it
also serves as a sense-making and control mechanism; and it guides and shapes the attitude and
behavior of the members of the organization (Farago & Skyrme, 1995). It is therefore important
for software project managers to understand the corporate culture, the organizational dynamics
and the individual they are dealing with (Belzer, 2004).

Stress management
Stress refers to pressure, tension or worry resulting from problems (Oxford Advanced Learner’s
Dictionary, 1999). Stress management is necessary for the software project manager who has to
perform under pressure quite often and must not be overwhelmed to the extent that the team is
also affected by their behavior. A certain level of stress is important for the software project man-
ager to perform well and this type of stress is called eustress, which is good stress. When stress
becomes excessive, it can cause harm to oneself or to the immediate surroundings. Beyond a cer-
tain level, it can cause distress.
Distress can be harmful to the extent that it can lead to the following problems that may affect
one’s health and at the same time hamper progress of the project:
• Physical problems like pain, tiredness, colds, insomnia, dizziness, nausea, palpitations
and sweating.
• Emotional problems like anxiety, guilt and lack of control, anger, depression, pessimism,
irritability, irrational fears and resentment.
• Mental problems like poor memory and concentration, negative thoughts, confusion and
loss of sense of humor. Stress sufferers can lose up to 50% of their aptitude to perform
their jobs (Chapman, 2001).
• Behavioral problems like smoking, crying, fidgeting, alcoholism, lashing out and shout-
ing.
Software development is an area where constraints of deadlines, degrading quality of work and
budget overrun can rapidly lead to a degeneration of the working environment. Distress will defi-
nitely cause a deterioration of the situation. Maintaining a good level of eustress as early as pos-
sible and ensuring that it does not turn into distress can help to improve the progress of the pro-
ject.

Time management
According to PMI (2000), time management includes the processes required to ensure timely
completion of projects. The soft skills side of time management refers to the ability of the soft-
ware project manager to plan, delegate, organize, direct, and control.
These attributes can be improved through experience. A list of obstacles preventing effective time
management has to be prepared (a so-called list of time wasters) and ways to eliminate these time
wasters should be established and applied.

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Change management
Changes are inevitable during the execution of a project and some circumstances may cause the
team to feel demotivated. It is, therefore, necessary to adjust the plan accordingly to accommo-
date changes. Some changes are within the control of the software project manager (like shorten-
ing the time schedule) while others are not (like the transfer of one key team member to another
project by senior management). In this situation, an assessment of the impact must be made with
regards to changes to schedules, budgets and resources involved. Any alteration should be identi-
fied and evaluated before committing changes (Proehl, 2001).
One important change management issue is dealing with user resistance. Especially, in the field
of software projects, changes are inseparable features as new developments in technology are
brought about continually. Both users and team members have to be informed as early as possi-
ble. People’s concerns need to be taken into consideration and actions to dissipate their fears have
to be taken as expeditiously as possible (Proehl, 2001).
In particular, user resistance can cause a software project to fail at the last stage (operational
stage) after months or years of assiduous effort. Therefore, this issue has to be taken care of from
the outset of the project. One solution is to involve the users throughout the different software
project phases (James, 1999).

Trustworthiness
Trustworthiness is the value given to the belief that one can rely on the goodness, strength and
ability of someone else (Oxford Advanced Learner’s dictionary, 1999). Trust is the basic re-
quirement that can ensure the success of any human enterprise. Trust must prevail at all times
between partners and between the manager and his/her subordinates. All relationships ought to be
based on trust.
Mutual trust must prevail throughout the project execution between the software project manager
and all of the stakeholders involved in the project. Simply meeting deadlines is just one facet of
the objectives of a project; a software project manager must also be able to convey that he/she can
always be trusted to do what is right at the right time to render the project successful and the cli-
ent satisfied (Lussier, 1990).

Conflict management
Conflicts are serious disagreements that emerge within the project team during the execution of a
software project. They may arise due to disagreements over priorities, allocation of resources,
quality of work (Gray & Larson, 2000) or other reasons. Conflicts may be desirable (especially,
when they clear ambiguities or when they raise concerns about a certain problem or pitfall) or can
hinder the performance of a project (e.g. when both parties in conflict are wrong in the debate
concerned). Desirable conflicts are often referred to as functional conflicts while undesirable con-
flicts are also called dysfunctional conflicts.
Conflict resolution skills are necessary for a software project manager to prevent behaviors of
team members from degenerating into irreconcilable situations that may prohibit them from ever
working together productively again (Newstrom & Davis, 2001).
Dysfunctional conflict resolution is a challenging task for software project managers. It might not
be identified until it becomes too late to overcome. According to Gray & Larson (2000), the fol-
lowing strategies can be employed to manage it:

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• Mediation of conflict
This strategy relies on convincing the parties concerned about the need for making conces-
sions in the interest of the project. The project manager has to negotiate the resolution by us-
ing reasoning, persuasion and suggesting alternatives.
• Arbitration of conflict
A solution is sought that allows each party to save face.
• Control of conflict
The conflict is controlled by reducing its intensity either by smoothing over the differences or
postponing the resolution to a more suitable period after both parties regained composure. In
case no solution can be found, project assignments may have to be rearranged so that the per-
sons concerned are not allowed to interact any further.
• Accepting conflict
Sometimes the software project manager may have to accept the conflict through the life of
the project but must introduce distractions to ignore the issue.
• Elimination of conflict
Conflicts may escalate to the point that they become intolerable and unacceptable. In such
cases, the person at fault must be removed from the project. Software project managers must
constantly watch out for behaviors within the project team that may escalate into conflict. The
ability to read body language to identify unspoken disagreements may be an important skill
for project managers.

Integrating Soft Skills and Hard Skills in

Software Project Management
The high failure rate of software projects necessitates actions to be taken as soon as possible in
order to improve this discipline. In this context, it is imperative to integrate soft skills along with
hard skills in existing and emerging software project management methodologies.
The previous sections provide details about some important soft skills required by software pro-
ject managers. More soft skills attributes for project managers are embodied in the emotional in-
telligence framework put forward by Goleman (1998a) and recapitulated by Barry and Du Plessis
(2004).
Soft skills attributes of the software project manager that require a high level of activation during
the different phases of a project have to be defined and then considered at the right time. A table
of activation of soft skills, considered in the previous sections, for different phases of software
projects may be prepared as shown in Table 3:
Table 3 – Soft skills activation
Project management phases
Soft Skills
Initiating Planning Executing Controlling Closing
Communication
√ √ √
skills
Team building √
Flexibility and
√ √ √
creativity
Leadership √ √

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Project management phases

Soft Skills
Initiating Planning Executing Controlling Closing
Organizational
√ √
effectiveness
Stress Man-
√ √
agement
Time Manage-
√ √
ment
Change Man-
√ √
agement
Trustworthiness √ √
Conflict Man-
√ √
agement
Table 3 was compiled by means of interviews conducted with project managers/systems analysts
of various software development organizations. However, in-depth research is required so that the
appropriate soft skills may be added and other skills excluded depending on the circumstances
prevailing in an organization, culture or country. The software project manager is required to be
conscious of a summary of skills necessary at the right time.

Conclusion
It is generally well known that software projects suffer from failure to meet deadlines, cost over-
runs and leave customers disillusioned. Substantial effort has been made in the area of hard skills
comprising processes, tools and techniques. Project management methodologies are being devel-
oped and improved, but still a large number of projects do not live up to expectations.
Apart from hard skills, research in the area of soft skills is very promising. Belzer (2004) men-
tioned that a greater piece of the puzzle for the successful delivery of projects, and in particular
software projects, is that of soft skills. Companies like Mastek, Polaris and Sun Microsystems
have incorporated such skills into their training agenda (Arora, 2003). A range of soft skills at-
tributes required by a software project manager has been identified. The emotional intelligence
framework proposed by Goleman (1998a) provides a number of soft skills dimensions that can
improve software project success.
Alternatively, a table of soft skills, such as table 3 may be prepared to emphasize the skills re-
quired at various stages of the project in execution. This table could require further research, as it
might not include the same soft skills for every organization, culture or regional setting. Further-
more, an empirical study as the one carried out at the University of Arkansas may be used as a
starting point towards the accommodation of soft skills in software project management.
The soft skills required at different phases of a software project development life cycle need to be
identified and the experienced software project manager has to be aware about the right time to
make use of such skills. The soft skills, deemed important for software projects, have to be care-
fully selected and taken into consideration through the life cycle of a project. A simple framework
has been proposed for an activation of the necessary soft skills during various phases of a soft-
ware project. Accommodating soft skills in software project management can overcome some
shortcomings in existing software project management methodologies. Therefore, greater re-
search efforts should be expended to accommodate soft skills in software project management to
improve success of the resulting projects. The outcome of these efforts may ensure greater cus-
tomers satisfaction, motivate software project teams and exceed stakeholders’ expectations.

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Biography
Aneerav Sukhoo, is a project manager working for the Ministry of
Information Technology & Telecommunications in Mauritius. He has
15 years of experience, out of which 8 years in IT project management,
in dealing with implementation of IT projects in the Public Service.
He has a Honours Bachelor degree in computer Science from the Uni-
versity of South Africa and a Master of Information Technology de-
gree from Charles Sturt University. He is presently preparing a PhD
thesis at the University of South Africa for the development of a soft-
ware project management methodology.

Andries Barnard, associate professor in the Department of Computer

Science and Information Systems, holds a PhD (Computer Science).
He teaches undergraduate courses in automata theory and formal lan-
guages and project management, as well as postgraduate courses in
project management and research methodology. His research interests
include computer ethics and graph grammar languages.

Mariki Eloff received a PhD Computer Science degree from the Rand
Afrikaans University (RAU), South Africa. She has presented research
papers at international and national conferences focusing on informa-
tion security. She joined Unisa as an associate professor in the School
of Computing during October 2002. She has assisted in the organiza-
tion and management of international conferences in information secu-
rity and has been part of the ISSA Conferences since its inception in
2000.

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During 2001 she participated in information security management research projects under the
joint leadership of RAU and the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS). She has also been
engaged in the development of various information security-training modules for industry.

John A. Van der Poll is an associate professor and acting head of the
Department of Systems Organisation in the School of Computing at the
University of South Africa (UNISA). He holds a PhD in Computer
Science and teaches an undergraduate course in operating systems, as
well as postgraduate courses in compiler construction and formal pro-
gram verification. His research interests are in formal specification
languages and automated reasoning.

Mahendrenath Motah is senior lecturer at the University of Technology since 2000. He has ex-
tensive experience in the fields of Management, Administration, and Training at both national
and international level. He has participated in various workshops, seminars and conferences at
national and international level. He contributes to the local press and other media through articles
and live programs. He has Master’s degrees in Psychology and Ethnology, and a PhD in Arts and
Human Sciences. He is also the Chairperson of the Regional Center for Urgent Anthropological
and Ethnological Research (UNESCO, Vienna).

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